Gamblers and Seekers
by ladybadasskillington
Summary: Torn knew he shouldn't have taken the bet. But he had. Torn/Jak/Jinx


_Note: I own nothing. Takes place between Jak 2 and 3._

Torn should have known, given the amount of time he'd spent around Jinx, that entering into a bet with the guy was a bad idea. But that was Jinx—he always knew how to make offers people couldn't refuse. It meant he was useful when he was on your side and you could keep him busy. But when he was left at loose ends…

Torn shouldn't have taken the bet. But he had.

Which was why he was faced with a dilemma now. He needed Jak to clear out some Metal Heads lingering in the sewers post-Praxis. Scouts had reported that the small band was about to get a lot bigger, as a substantial number of eggs had been laid in their lair. As a result, Torn needed Jinx to get in there and blow the nest without completely destroying an area of the sewers. Compared with some of the missions Jak and Jinx had already taken on at this point, it would be a walk in the park.

The commander swallowed his irritation at the need to pair the two men together on this mission. Jinx was one of the only guys they had with enough finesse to take out the eggs without damaging the sewers, and if he sent Jak, he wouldn't have to worry about putting someone in who couldn't get the job done.

_This needs to happen,_ Torn told himself. _If you let a damn bet interfere with your work, you should quit this job now and leave it to someone competent._

_Besides, it'll show Jinx that you're not worried about winning. And if he manages to win the bet while he and Jak are on a damn mission—without getting both of them killed—well…even I'll be impressed._

* * *

He couldn't wait for Blondie to get his fine ass over here. Jinx had to admit that it was pretty ballsy of Torn to pair him up with Jak for a mission, but then, if there really was a small nest of Metal Heads in the sewers, it needed to be dealt with.

No, he wouldn't forget what he and Jak were here for—they had a job to do. But Jinx was a man of many talents, multitasking among them. And he planned to use his quality time with Pretty Boy to his advantage.

_It would make my day if he didn't bring the rat, but, eh, probably too much to hope for._

It wasn't, apparently—Jak's shoulder was free today. Jinx fought the dirty grin threatening to split his face in half. No need to make Blondie think he had anything planned.

"Eh, Jakkie-boy! Never thought I'd see ya without yer pet. What took ya so long?"

"Dax wanted me to drop him off at the bar," Jak replied. "You know where we're going?"

"Sure, sure," Jinx said, heading into the sewer s. He managed to keep his mouth shut until they made their first right. Jak, as usual, didn't seem interested in conversation.

"Ya wanna lead, Blondie? Y're here to shoot any Metal Heads tryin' to get at little ol' me."

Jak shrugged. "I just don't know where we're going."

"Ya still don't know yer way around this place, after all that work fer the Underground?"

Jinx wasn't looking, but he was pretty sure that Jak was rolling his eyes. "Don't spend as much time down here as you, I guess."

"Aw, but we met down here, Jakkie-boy! Ya ain't a little fond of the place? I'm hurt."

Jak huffed and sloshed his way through the sewage, taking point. In Jinx's opinion, the view improved considerably.

_Oh, I am so gonna win this. That ass is **mine.**_

* * *

Three days earlier, Jinx had been kicking back at the newly-named Naughty Ottsel. Daxter, with Tess' help, was still redoing the place. Jinx had been thinking about how the change of management seemed to be improving the establishment when Torn walked in.

Small talk turned into a couple of drinks, and a couple of drinks had turned into enough drinks that both men lost count. At some point, Jak had been in and out of the bar, helping Dax out moving a few things (and getting free drinks in exchange for the help).

Jinx couldn't help but notice the way Torn's eyes lingered on Jak while Tess talked at the kid. And the way his eyes followed Jak when he bent over to clean up a spill on the floor.

_Oh, damn. Can't say he doesn't have good taste, though._

Jinx said as much, and the look on Torn's face as he whipped around to look at Jinx was murderous.

"Just because I'm drunk doesn't mean I won't kill you in a second," he said, in a growl that might have been sexy if Torn was Jinx's type. He preferred blondes. Pretty ones.

"Eh, I was just makin' an observation," Jinx said, putting his hands up in surrender. Torn didn't look convinced.

"Uh huh. Where is this goin', Jinx?"

The man in question smirked. "You wouldn't mind a bit of friendly competition, would ya?"

Torn's grip tightened on his glass. "The fuck are you talkin' about? Competition for what?"

"Why, Blondie, a'course," Jinx said, voice lowered. "I propose a bet."

"No."

"Why not? If we don't bet on it, we're both gonna go after 'im anyway."

"I'm not—he's not a thing to be wagered, Jinx."

Oh._ Oh._ Well, wasn't this interesting.

"Ain't that cute. Ya really care. Didn't think ya had it in ya, Torn."

"Fuck. You." Torn started to get up, but Jinx kept on talking.

"Look. I'm gonna get that kid in bed, and I'm gonna do it before ya even get close to 'im. You take the bet, y've at least got incentive to act on yer little crush." Jinx didn't really know why he was pushing this, but he had gone too far to drop it. And he was planning on sleeping with Jak eventually. This just made everything a little more interesting.

"What does the winner get? Besides the obvious."

Jinx grinned. "Hell, I dunno. What say we make it simple—loser has to do something for the winner."

Torn glowered at Jinx, but he was obviously considering the offer. "I have a condition, if we're gonna do this." Jinx gestured for him to go ahead. "No tricks. I mean, no getting him drunk or forcing him into anything."

"You wound me, Tornie. What kind of guy d'ya think I am?" The look on Torn's face showed exactly the kind of guy he thought Jinx was—Jinx was actually a little offended that Torn thought he would actually force somebody into sex. He pushed the feeling down and agreed.

"Fine, Jinx. Have it your way."

"Don't worry. I will."

* * *

Jinx resisted the urge to shake his head at the memory. Had he been a better man, he might have felt a little guilty about getting between Torn and his little crush. Precursors knew the commander had little enough joy in his life.

But damn, that ass.

Jinx had been pretty chatty with Jak the whole mission, just trying to get the kid to warm up to him a little bit. Honestly, Jak seemed a little grateful for it—like he didn't know how to face the silence that came with Daxter's absence.

"Looks like we're getting close," Jinx said softly. More metalheads had been appearing the further they walked into the sewers, but Jak had dispatched them without much trouble.

"Yeah. Stay back a little bit and I'll go see what we're up against."

After a few moments, Jinx heard the sound of scuffling and cursing, mixed in with the telltale clack of metalhead claws. He hurried up to the turn that Jak had taken and flattened his back to the wall, pulling out his own gun. Not as big or flashy as what Jak was packing, but it could still kill.

Jinx leaned out from his hiding place and swore. Jak had taken down three metal heads, but a big one had him pinned down—literally. He was on his back, splashing in the sewage as he tried to get some leverage. The metalhead, on the other hand, was moving in to tear the kid's throat out.

_Not today, ya fucker_. He had to wait a moment to get a clear shot—

_There!_ The metalhead had reared back to lunge at Jak, exposing its soft underbelly, and Jinx nailed it. The thing went down screeching, and he rushed in to get a second shot off. A bullet to the head, and the metalhead was down for good.

In the quiet after, he could hear his and Jak's heavy breathing. He turned and extended a hand to the younger man, who took it with a strange look on his face.

"You saved me," Jak said after a long moment. "Um, thanks."

"No problem, Blondie," Jinx said, waving a hand dismissively. He tried to shrug off the way his head buzzed when Jak looked at him like that. Like he was a little moonstruck. _Must be adrenaline,_ he thought, shaking his head._ It'll fade._

The rest of the mission went smoothly. They didn't talk much for the remainder; Jak was busy shooting metalheads as Jinx meticulously set up explosives around the nest. When he was finished up, he called to his partner.

They jogged away, heading back through the sewers to a safe distance. Jak managed to shoot the metalheads that followed them while running.

_Looks like he's back on his game._

Behind another bend, Jinx motioned for Jak to crouch down next to him against a wall. He gritted his teeth, then flipped the switch. They heard the explosion, and the sewers shook around them. But only for a moment. Jinx grinned.

"Let's go check it out and make sure nothin' survived."

Nothing had. Jinx couldn't keep the smug grin off his face; nobody could say he wasn't the best at what he did. It was while he was surveying the damage that Jak surprised him.

"How did you…learn to do that?" the younger man asked, gesturing at the general destruction.

"It's a long story," Jinx said. "We'd need some time and probably a few drinks to get through it."

"I have to go back to the Ottsel to pick up Dax anyway, so…"

"Y're also covered in sludge—and wait, you bleeding?"

Jak curled in on himself a little bit. "I—it's nothing. I've had worse."

The explosives expert considered him for a moment. "Ya could come back to my place, get a shower and clean out those scratches." He grinned. "And I could tell ya all about how I learned to blow stuff up."

Jak nodded, slowly. Warily. "OK, I guess…you don't mind?" He was so unsure, and it made something in Jinx feel a bit wobbly.

"Come on. Let's get out of the damn sewer."

* * *

Courtesy of Jinx's zoomer—which, surprisingly, was something he actually owned and hadn't stolen—about fifteen minutes later, they arrived at his apartment in the slums. Up two flights of rickety stairs, down the hall and to the left, was Jinx's tiny studio. Not much, but there was a lock on the door, hot water (most days) and the place was relatively clean.

"Shower's through there, Blondie. Hot water lasts about ten minutes or so."

Jak nodded. It was obvious that he was still wary of the situation, but he disappeared into Jinx's matchbox-sized bathroom.

Jinx went into his near-empty pantry and was reaching for a bottle of booze when he thought better of it. After a bit of scrounging, he managed to find some tea, which was Precursors knew how old.

_Tea doesn't go bad, right? I didn't even know I **had** tea._

Shrugging, he put a pot of water on the stove, grabbed two mugs and waited. He was actually pouring the water over the tea when he suddenly realized Jak was looking over his shoulder.

"Damn, kid, don't scare me like that. I didn't even know ya could move that quiet."

Jak had moved to a chair at the table when he turned around. He was trying to hide a smirk, and Jinx rolled his eyes.

"Ya want somethin' fer those scratches? One of the few things I always keep around is a first aid kit. Pretty important when ya lead a life a'danger like me."

Now it was Jak's turn to roll his eyes. "I'll be fine."

Jinx raised a brow and held out the kit. After a short staring match, Jak reluctantly took it out of his hands and began tugging off his shirt. The other man took that as his cue to start talking.

_Mmm, that's not fair. He's got that tan skin all over…focus, Jinx. You'll spook him if you stare like a piece of meat._

"So, when I was a kid—this was back before Dead Town was Dead Town, mind ya. Lived out there. Me an' some other urchins stole a shipment from some guards, tryin' ta get food. But there was a little canister of yellow Eco in there…I started playin' with it, made some things go boom, and I was hooked. I'd never even seen Eco before…"

His own honesty took him by surprise. Jak's rapt attention to his chronicle was even more startling, but this was happening, and he just rolled with it. The kid even asked questions occasionally, mostly about the Eco and its properties. He finished a long time later, way after the sun went down. When they finally lapsed into silence, Jinx realized that neither his nor Jak's comm had gone off. And here he'd thought the kid was constantly hooked up to Daxter and to the new leader of the FL, doing odd jobs.

_Hell, we didn't even report back to Torn. **Shit**. He's gotta be pissed._

When he mentioned the realization to Jak, the kid looked a little sheepish.

"Uh, that's sort of my bad. I guess. I actually turned them both off?"

Jinx raised a brow at him. Jak sighed.

"I just…everything's been crazy, with rebuilding after…after Praxis. And there've been Death Bots popping up. Torn's had me all over the place, all the time, and I get it, but I just wanted to get away from it for a few hours."

In that moment, Jinx was reminded of how young Jak actually was. Just turning off your comm and ignoring your responsibilities was such a teenager thing to do, though Jinx couldn't say he'd never been similarly irresponsible. Even if he had years on the kid, he wasn't perfect.

_Time to stop this train of thought. God, I feel old._

"What time is—damn, it's late. Wanna call it a night and head over ta HQ first thing tomorrow? We should probably call Torn right now and at least let him know the job's done, but he's gonna go postal either way. I don't really wanna deal with it yet." Jinx really shouldn't encourage this irresponsible streak, and he knew that. And while he enjoyed riling Torn up, this was a little out of line. Well,** way** out of line. But he meant what he said—he really didn't want to get into shit with Torn just now. And if he was honest with himself, he was really enjoying the kid's company. He couldn't make himself end the peaceful night just yet.

For his part, Jak seemed surprised that Jinx wasn't mad. "I…you want me to stay here?"

Jinx shrugged. "I don't mind if ya stay, and it's pretty late. No need for ya ta be runnin' around when I got a perfectly good sofa right here."

_I've got a perfectly good bed, too. But that can come later_.

Jak considered the offer for a moment. "Shit, haven't told Dax where I am."

"If I know 'im at all, he's probably out cold from drinkin' by now. And ya can trust Tess ta take care of 'im. Besides, he ain't yer babysitter, right?"

Jak hesitated for another moment, then nodded. "Yeah, you're right. He won't miss me for one night. Um. Thanks for letting me stay."

Jinx waved him off. "Just don't put yer boots on the couch."

A few minutes later, he was staring at the ceiling through the darkness. Something heavy and warm settled in his chest as he listened to Jak's breathing slow and deepen from across the room. Jinx did his best to ignore it.

* * *

To say that Torn was angry was an understatement. He needed all of his rage to cover up his worry over his youngest operative.

Hours after Jak and Jinx should have reported back, he'd sent an agent to survey the situation in the sewers. He knew that they'd gotten the job done and done it well. Torn had spent the night coming up with reasons why they hadn't reported in, and he didn't like any of the possibilities. He knew they hadn't gone to the Ottsel and they certainly hadn't come to HQ. And he also knew Jak didn't have anywhere else to sleep.

But Jinx did, and Torn was now stomping up the steps to his apartment. He banged on the door with one fist, and briefly wondered if he was prepared to deal with whatever the situation was inside.

He heard rustling and a curse—a few seconds later Jinx pulled the door open with more force than necessary, eyes widening when he realized who was standing on his threshold.

"Look, Torn, I can explain."

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Why the hell would you just not report in? Jesus, Jinx, even you're more professional than that. And where the hell is Jak?"

Jinx sighed. "Here."

Torn's stomach dropped, even though he wasn't exactly surprised. Something must have shown on his face, because Jinx threw up his hands, palm up.

"Don't look at me like that; he slept on the couch."

Jak chose that moment to appear behind Jinx, with no shirt and messy hair. It was a good look on him, and Torn struggled not to stare. The kid actually looked a little worried.

"It's my fault," he said. Torn crossed his arms. Before Jak could start talking though, Jinx interjected.

"Hey, come inside. It's still fuckin' early and the neighbors are gonna get pissed if we have this conversation out here."

They ended up sitting at the kitchen table while Jak went into a short explanation. It was one of the stupidest things Torn had ever heard. When Jak had finished—at least the kid knew it was stupid, judging by his tone and the look on his face—Torn just looked at him for a moment, then slapped him upside the head.

Jak actually just blinked for a moment with an incredulous look on his face that almost made Jinx laugh. Until Torn hooked a foot under the man's chair and flipped it backwards.

"DAMMIT, TORN!"

"This is the most pointless shit either of you have ever pulled. If you do this again, you'll both be on escort duty for Ashelin and the Council for a month. I don't care what you do with your personal time, but do your fucking jobs. Now get dressed and grab your shit; we're going back to HQ. I've got work for both of you."

Jak was apparently too surprised to be sullen, at least for now, and was ready in five minutes. Jinx took at least three of those minutes to stay on the floor and bemoan his fate. Torn remained unmoved.

Eventually, they were all in Torn's cruiser. (Jak asked to drive, but only got a look from Torn that said, _"How stupid do you think I am?"_)

Jak was sent out first, to cover some FL guys and workers rebuilding a hospital on the city's outskirts. Metalheads still lurked and the threat of the Death Bots was growing.

After he'd left, Torn and Jinx had a bit of a standoff.

"Seriously, nothin' happened. Yet. And fer what it's worth, it was stupid and I shouldnta let Jak get away with it. But…"

"But what?"

"Look, I get that there's more shit ta do in this city than there are people ta do it. But yer runnin' that kid ragged. Cantcha, I dunno, give 'im a day off or something?"

Torn shifted a bit, regarding Jinx with a stare that would have made most men want to run out of the room.

"I mean, he ain't gonna be useful ta anyone when he's exhausted. Yesterday when we were in the sewers, a metalhead actually caught him off-guard. Woulda killed him if I hadn't been there. That's the truth."

"What?"

"Yeah, big sucker had 'im pinned—literally pinned ta th'ground. I managed ta get a few good shots in before it tore 'is throat out."

Shit. Jak wasn't infalliable, but he knew how to take care of himself. A slip-up of that magnitude spoke volumes about his physical and mental state. Torn hated to admit it, but Jinx had a point. And ultimately, the welfare of his people was more important than his pride.

_I can't believe he didn't say anything…well, yes I can, but it pisses me off. He's going to get himself killed._

"Okay, Jinx. I'll work something out. Now, I need you to help my guys demolish an unstable building here," he said, pointing to a map of Haven. "Get going. And report back when you're done, for fuck's sake."

"Will do, boss," Jinx said, saluting. Torn shook his head and returned to the reports on his desk.

* * *

When Jak returned hours later, Torn actually didn't notice at first. He realized, when he saw that Jak was standing in front of him, that Daxter still wasn't with him.

"Where's the rat? You two have a fight or something?"

Jak shook his head. "Nah, he came with me on the mission. He's just busy fixing up the bar and everything. He's there with Tess."

It was something for Torn to consider. However he felt about Daxter—and he couldn't stand him—he had to admit that the rat had survival skills. And that he watched Jak's back. If Jak was trying to do without him, it might be putting him off his game.

Torn debated asking him about it, if he was okay with his best friend and formerly constant companion's absence. He shook off the urge.

"You're off until the day after tomorrow."

"What?"

The commander raised an eyebrow. "You go deaf in the last minute? I said, you've got the rest of the day today and all day tomorrow to do whatever you want. Except helping fix up the damn bar; giving you a break is pointless if you don't actually rest."

"Is this about the mission yesterday? What did Jinx tell you?" And there he was, the proud, defensive Jak that Torn was used to. And was far too attached to.

"You know where the barracks are, if you need a place to stay."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Look, Jak, I'm not punishing you. I've been pushing you too hard, but that's only because you're the best I've got and honestly, I could use more than one of you right now. And no, I'm never saying that again. Now get some rest."

The kid had that shocked look on his face again. Torn put in a considerable amount of effort not to find it endearing.

"…thanks, Torn." He said it in a quieter voice than Torn had ever heard him use.

"It's nothing, Jak. I'll be out here if you need anything."

* * *

It was roughly two am when Torn finally allowed himself to stop working for the night. He headed back to the barracks—he had his own quarters in Freedom HQ, but he wanted to check and make sure Jak was actually resting.

The kid had taken up residence on one of the beds and at least looked like he was sleeping. Torn turned in the doorway and left.

He was halfway back to his own room when he realized he was being followed. When he got there, he simply held the door open for Jak, who looked up at him, questioning. Torn answered with an expression. _Are you coming in or not?_

Jak ended up perched on the couch, looking like he didn't know what he was doing there. Torn definitely didn't, but started removing his armor to get ready for bed. If Jak wanted to talk, he could talk; if he wanted to sleep on the couch, he was welcome.

Torn might have been a little in love with the kid, but he sure as hell wasn't a counselor or a babysitter. And if anything happened between the two of them—ever—then Jak was going to need to take some initiative. Torn would need to know that Jak wanted it, wanted something from him, specifically.

He had felt something like a pull towards Jak since he'd brought down an entire building on his first mission. And sometimes, he did see Jak looking at him when Daxter wasn't paying attention. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but Precursors knew Torn had little enough to hope for in his personal life as it was.

Jak stared as he pulled off his knife belt, looking equal parts fascinated and worried.

"What, do you think I sleep in my armor?"

The other man startled, then—_is he blushing?_

"I, um, no, I—can I stay here tonight?"

"Sure." Despite what Torn had just told himself about not being a counselor, he was seriously considering asking Jak if he was OK. He found himself wishing the damned idiot would stop making him break all of his own rules.

Torn was about to hand him a blanket when the kid stood up awkwardly to take it and knocked into him. A natural progression from there—he leaned down a bit and grabbed Jak's shoulders to steady him, the shorter man looked up into his face, and he was right there.

Jak was on tiptoes when he kissed Torn, even with the latter already leaning down. It would have been cute if he hadn't been busy kissing back. Torn's hands moved down to rest on the kid's narrow hips. He squeezed lightly, and Jak made a little noise, breaking the kiss.

The kid didn't pause before pulling Torn back in, though. He was pressed close, and even on tiptoes he had trouble reaching Torn's shoulders. The taller of the two knew that this might be a bad idea and tried to pull away a bit, to ask what, exactly, Jak thought he was doing. But the renegade in question followed him back and rolled his hips, and it became much harder to remember that the commander might need to stop this.

Torn grabbed Jak's arms and shifted the two of them around so he could sit on the couch and pull the blonde onto his lap; he was sucking on the Jak's neck hard enough to leave a mark. If the kid kept making that mewling sound Torn thought he might lose it. When he sunk his teeth into tan skin, he heard Jak moan.

_Huh. If he's that loud now…he's gonna be screaming later._

The pull on his dreads surprised him enough that he growled deep in his throat. When he glanced up at Jak's face, his eyes were half-lidded and dark, and he tugged Torn's hair again. The growling was obviously a turn-on for him, so he kept it up.

A few minutes of necking later, Torn realized Jak was tugging on his shirt, whining. The older man rolled his eyes and tugged it over his head. While he was at it, he worked on getting his partner undressed as well. Shirt, gloves and goggles all ended up thrown to some corner in the room.

He couldn't help taking a few minutes to explore that tan, muscular chest. Jak tasted like sweat and the metallic tang of eco, maybe mixed with a little bit of cheap soap. He didn't smell like roses—he was an eighteen-year-old boy—but Torn had spent the last decade living in barracks, so it wasn't like it bothered him.

He couldn't reach as low as he wanted his mouth to go, not in the position they were in. When he pushed Jak up and off onto his feet, the kid actually looked hurt for two seconds before Torn gestured to the bed.

Surprisingly, Jak had some manners—he kicked his boots off before climbing onto the mattress, and Torn did the same. He was plenty happy to get back to it, though.

Torn was over him on hands and knees when he saw it—that little bit of anxiety in the younger man's face. It sobered him up a little to remember that Jak had been in prison for two years with a sadistic group of men. He took care not to cage the younger man in too much or hold him down after that.

But it didn't mean he couldn't kiss Jak so hard it left them both gasping. He ground against the kid so hard that the blonde's eyes rolled back for a moment.

He kissed and licked his way over Jak's abs, covered in soft green hair that matched his roots. When he circled the navel with his tongue, his partner shivered a bit. He'd been keeping a hand in Torn's hair, and Torn was pretty sure he tugged when he was particularly enjoying the action.

By the time he was down to the hem of those white pants, Jak was panting and sweating, a little strung out from all the attention. Torn looked up, trying to make eye contact.

"Jak. Can I…?"

"Yeah, yes, please," Jak muttered, just loud enough for Torn to hear. He seemed a little embarrassed, like he was trying to avoid speaking during sex.

_We'll have to work on that, if there's a next time._

Out loud, Torn said nothing, just pulled Jak's pants and boxers down while the kid helpfully lifted his hips and shimmied. He didn't spend any time getting poetic over Jak's dick, though it was pretty nice, and took him into his mouth.

Jak let out this surprised moan that made Torn throb, but it was the look on the younger man's face that made him want to come on the spot. Mouth slack, eyes almost-but-not-quite-closed, cheeks flushed. It was pornographic, plain and simple.

It had been a while since he'd done this—spearheading a rebellion and rebuilding a city didn't leave much time for giving blowjobs—but Jak didn't seem to notice as Torn bobbed his head, cheeks hollowing out with every suck. He was moaning so loud that Torn hoped nobody in HQ could hear, or at least that they wouldn't be able to figure out who was with him.

He relished having Jak under him, reducing the blonde to this moaning, aching mess. It was one of the kinks he tried hardest to clamp down on—his need to be in charge, to dominate. But here, when it was just the two of them, Torn couldn't keep that part of him from coming out. When Jak tried to thrust up, he held his hips with enough force to bruise.

"Uh, oh shit, Torn, I think I…" Jak's eyes were screwed shut now, his body taut as he tried to warn his partner. Torn just kept sucking, hard, and took him in to the base of his dick.

Really, for someone who didn't talk much, the kid had an impressive set of lungs. When he came down Torn's throat, he screamed loud enough to make the other man's ears ring.

It was entirely worth it to see what Jak looked like post-orgasm. Chest heaving, eyelids fluttering, and blissed out expression.

_Wish I had a camera, but then, I don't think I want to risk anyone else seeing this. Gorgeous._

Torn laid on his side, head propped up on an elbow, and just watched until Jak came back to himself. It took a few moments, but those big blue eyes finally opened. When they focused on him, he tried not to look too smug.

"I…Torn, that was…do you want me to…?"

"I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't, but if you don't want to, you don't have to."

The younger man shook his head with that determined look on his face. "Just tell me if I'm doing it wrong," he said quietly, cheeks burning.

"Keep your teeth away from my dick and it'll probably work out."

Jak gave him this black, _Fuck-You_ look, and started working on Torn's pants. He only fumbled a little.

It was sloppy, but damn it, the blonde was trying. That knowledge, along with the sight of that pretty mouth on his cock, was enough, given the extended amount of time he'd spent pleasing the younger man without even touching himself. Torn came hard. Jak tried to take it, but didn't entirely succeed, wincing at the bitter taste. The sight of Jak with cum dribbling out of his mouth wasn't something Torn was going to forget any time soon. Or ever.

They ended up shoulder to shoulder on the bed, Torn on his back and Jak on his stomach. The younger man was gazing at him thoughtfully, and Torn turned to face him. "Where did this come from, Jak?"

"I think it was yesterday that really got me thinking about it."

Torn raised a brow, trying not to let his suspicion show on his face.

"I mean, it was the first time I've felt normal in a long time, just being able to spend time with somebody without anything blowing up. And Jinx was actually pretty nice to me, and I couldn't help wishing I could be like that with you. No missions or anything, just being people. And, well, having sex, I guess."

"Oh. So you actually wanted me? Just want to clarify this here."

Jak rolled his eyes. "Yeah."

There was silence for a few moments. Then, "Were you lookin' to make this an ongoing thing?"

"Yeah…I mean, what do you want?"

"I'm only going to say this once. But I've wanted this since you showed off destroying that tower back on your mission. So yeah, I do want you and not just for sex. Just don't expect any flowers or chocolates from me."

Jak actually cracked a smile at that. "OK."

While Jak pressed his face into Torn's shoulder, the older man's mind was racing. Technically, he was pretty sure he'd won the bet with Jinx, but that was the problem. If Jak thought he'd just done this to win a bet, he'd get hurt, and he'd never trust Torn again. Not that Torn blamed him—it all sounded pretty awful.

_I can't chance him finding out offhand from Jinx. I need to tell him about this now and make sure he knows the truth._

Torn sighed heavily. "I need to tell you something you're not going to like. But let me explain it before you react." He paused. "…please."

"I'm listening."

* * *

Jinx couldn't believe he'd lost.

He was also pretty shocked about how disappointed he was that Jak and Torn were actually dating. To Torn's credit, he'd actually informed Jak about the bet as soon as they'd gotten together. The explosives expert supposed he could have debated whether or not Torn had actually won, given that actual sex hadn't occurred. But given that the younger blonde and the commander had decided to become an item—though they were trying to keep it quiet—it was only a matter of time before they went all the way, which made arguing pointless.

And he had to admit that he'd actually started to care about Jak, and he at least respected Torn after all these years. He couldn't purposely break them up.

He'd found out about the whole thing when Jak had found him in a booth at the Ottsel on a crowded night.

The kid slid right into the booth, and without preamble, said, "Torn won the bet."

Jinx had nearly choked on his drink.

" 'Sat so?" he tried to sound casual. "What did he tell you?"

"The basics of the bet. Not much to tell."

"Look, Jak, the other night…I know what it prolly looks like, but I was not tryin' to get ya into bed. Ya got my word." It was true—his original intention had been to get in Jak's good graces in order to build up to sex some other night. But that night had turned into something else, something that Jinx had actually found valuable.

The use of his actual name seemed to get the kid's attention. "…oh. Thanks for telling me."

"I'm serious. And, uh, good fer you guys, I guess? Tell me 'bout it. S'Torn any good in bed? I've always wondered." He delighted in the kid's blush.

"He was great." Jak blurted. Jinx raised an eyebrow.

"Details?"

"No."

Jinx sighed dramatically. "Th' least ya could do to ease my broken heart is to give me juicy details. But, hey, maybe I can join ya sometime and find out fer myself."

He'd said it to get a rise out of the younger man. So he was completely floored when Jak gave him a once-over and replied,

"Maybe. We'll see."


End file.
